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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spell — magic
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. last — finally
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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