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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. pound — to hit hard

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