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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. row — to paddle
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — a line
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — to protest
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wax — for sculpting

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