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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. present — there
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kick — in football
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — help
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — for digging
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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