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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. snap — to click
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — certain
  20. shower — rain
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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