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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — goods
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — a soup base

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