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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: lean · shower · deal · firm · pop · spell · trunk · pound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — letters
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pop — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pop — soda
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. shower — to wash

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