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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — the cause
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. content — the amount
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chest — a box
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wax — to grow

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