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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — letters
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — a weight
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to click
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — a stone

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