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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pound — a weight
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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