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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — to handle
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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