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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: staff · bark · drill · foot · rest · wound · stick · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — a practice
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pound — a weight

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