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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pound — to hit hard

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