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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · nail · hand · hide · bear · squash · firm · last

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — to go on
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. firm — decided
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — final
  21. firm — a company
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — help

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