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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — help
  17. scale — in music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — hasty

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