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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lean — to bend
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pound — a weight
  11. game — wild animals
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — of the year
  16. game — a match
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — electricity

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