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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. 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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. wax — for sculpting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — tied together
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. vault — a safe

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