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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — a thing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. shower — rain
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bore — to drill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. bank — for money

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