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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. object — to protest
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. object — an aim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to click
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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