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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. land — a country
  24. hand — in cards

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