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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com