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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spell — magic
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. row — a line
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. spell — letters

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