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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: tear · pound · rash · scale · face · trunk · arm · rush

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — a series
  7. scale — in music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. face — to confront
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — hasty

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