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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — a weight
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. last — finally
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. last — final
  19. kid — to tease
  20. last — to go on
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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