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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: wave · mug · race · pound · bore · perch · suit · bark

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bore — to tire
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — to drill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — gave birth

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