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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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