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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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