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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kid — child
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — a division
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kid — to tease

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