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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — a division
  21. bat — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pound — a weight

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