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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: cap · hide · rock · firm · wind · chest · saw · pound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. cap — a lid
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — decided
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — a company
  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