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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — a break
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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