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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — to shout
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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