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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. land — ground
  4. pound — a weight
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. toast — bread
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — a country
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stem — to come from
  21. land — to come down
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — for dogs

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