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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. current — of water
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. wound — an injury
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — to rob
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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