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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — happening now
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. current — of water

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