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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — help
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — happening now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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