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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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Word bank
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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: wake · bore · bear · foot · sharp · rash · bay · pound

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — a measure
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bear — to put up with

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