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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cell — in biology
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — government
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rule — a law
  9. band — a music group
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — a break
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — a stick
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. band — a ring

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