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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis

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