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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — crushed
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — a position
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — a lid
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — of ice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pound — a weight

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