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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — to breed
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — a series
  21. toast — bread
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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