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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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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 · pound · snap · club · staff · deal · wound · stand

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. staff — a stick
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pound — a weight
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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