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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bark — to shout
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. key — in music
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — a straw man

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