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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. track — a song
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. object — a thing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — an aim
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a path
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — to protest

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