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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 120 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: pound · stick · mug · trunk · cold · bay · perch · object

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. object — to protest
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. cold — not warm
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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