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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — the season
  24. kid — child

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