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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — in a road
  24. saw — the tool

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