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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. face — to confront
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mate — a partner
  20. face — to point toward
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a friend

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