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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. firm — a company
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chest — a box
  14. firm — decided
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. hide — animal skin

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