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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — hasty

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