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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — a weight
  6. firm — a company
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. capital — a city
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. capital — money
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — the season
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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