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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wound — an injury
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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