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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fall — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bat — for baseball

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