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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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 — to hit hard
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pound — a weight
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  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