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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: hide · tear · deal · pop · stand · mine · pound · rush

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stand — on your feet

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