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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: tear · hide · bay · pound · nail · land · mug · racket

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — to come down
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a face
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mug — to rob
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — to rip
  24. land — ground

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