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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. last — finally
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. charge — a price
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — final
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — a video

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