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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — to bear
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rule — a law
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — child

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