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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — all right
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — in music
  21. kid — child
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lie — an untruth

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