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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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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: sharp · pass · rock · hand · pound · dip · spell · land

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — to come down
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hand — help
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spell — magic
  24. pass — to succeed

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