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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — in cards
  4. shower — rain
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — final
  13. hand — help
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — a horse colour

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