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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — to wash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. shower — rain
  24. wax — to grow

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