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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — clothes
  4. race — the arms race
  5. suit — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rest — a break
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. race — a contest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — humankind
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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