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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. file — a document
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — a country
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pitch — completely

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