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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hand — help
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — to keep secret

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