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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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