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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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 — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — a hint
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  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