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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. band — a music group
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a ring
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — for digging
  19. kid — child
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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