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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. present — the time now
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — in music
  8. present — there
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — a gift
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — the tool

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