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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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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: bear · pound · dip · season · hand · deal · nail · fine

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — to handle
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pound — for dogs

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