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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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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: hand · pound · deal · staff · cell · hide · rest · firm

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cell — in biology
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — a company
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — help
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rest — a break

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