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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 116 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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kid — child
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lean — thin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — a weight

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