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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — of ice
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — government
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — a law
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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