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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — the season
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rest — a break
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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