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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — a series
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — music

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