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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: game · pound · straw · jam · last · fine · tear · hide

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pound — a weight
  4. last — final
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — wild animals
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tear — from crying
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. last — finally
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fine — high quality
  24. last — to go on

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