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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. march — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fall — the season

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