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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pound — a weight
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to click
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. charge — electricity
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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