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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — a weight
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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