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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — in sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — for catching
  6. pound — a weight
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — after costs
  12. shower — rain
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — a container
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a friend

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