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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: mouse · face · pass · pound · kid · bark · arm · fan

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kid — child
  12. bark — to shout
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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