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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — a thing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — to protest
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. object — an aim

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