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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. net — for catching
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. straw — a straw man

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