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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — for golf
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — on a finger

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