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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 120 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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468
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — army training
  5. pound — a weight
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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