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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — tied together
  12. race — humankind
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — in an idiom

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