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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a music group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — lets stay

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