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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a music group
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. kid — child
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. band — a ring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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