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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a signal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — the cause
  16. cue — a hint
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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