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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — the fish
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. last — final
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — magic
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. last — to go on
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mouse — the animal

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