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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bass — the fish

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