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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — a group
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. sharp — clever
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — for golf

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