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

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. file — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a document
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wind — to turn a key

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