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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — a group
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — in football
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bark — to shout
  15. club — for golf
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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