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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: wake · object · pound · patient · cap · straw · bark · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — to protest
  18. bark — to shout
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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