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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bank — of a river
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rule — government
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — the sport

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