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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — thin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. court — of law
  18. wound — an injury
  19. track — to keep track
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — a path
  22. court — for sport
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to bend

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