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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. file — a document
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — letters
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pop — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — to visit

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