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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. date — the fruit
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a ring
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — on the calendar

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