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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · stick · fine · pound · hide · staff

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wind — to turn a key

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