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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. dip — to sink
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pound — a weight
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. deal — a big deal

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