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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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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: bark · can · toast · shower · last · arm · pound · rule

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. can — a tin
  3. toast — bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — government
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bark — to shout
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pound — a weight
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. shower — rain

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