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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — a weight
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — in sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. file — a document
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — a monarch

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