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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — a contest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a horse colour

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