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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — low music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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