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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cue — a signal
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — steady
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bark — to shout
  22. firm — decided
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the vegetable

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