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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — a face
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a cup

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