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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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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: hide · season · object · court · lie · kid · mate · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. kid — to tease
  8. court — of law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. season — in sport
  16. court — for sport
  17. kid — child
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — of a king
  20. lie — to recline
  21. object — to protest
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — a weight

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