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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — a position
  12. file — a tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kick — in football
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — rain
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ground — the earth
  24. file — a document

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