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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rash — a series
  7. object — an aim
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — a face
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. nail — for a hammer

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