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

Word bank: leaves · row · deal · track · pound · arm · wake · shower

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. arm — a part of something

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