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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to click
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. shower — rain
  22. pound — a weight
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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