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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 120 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: mouse · hide · hand · wind · mark · pound · foot · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mark — a grade
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wind — moving air

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