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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — a grade

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