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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rule — government
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — the most important part
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. key — in music
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — animal skin

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