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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — to shout
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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