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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pound — a weight
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. net — after costs
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. leaves — of a tree

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