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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — a weight
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rash — a series
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. face — to point toward
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. straw — dry grass

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