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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · trunk · rest · bowl · stick · rock · pound · saw

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — a break
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — moving air

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