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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. charge — a price
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. 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