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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. perch — for a bird

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