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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: lean · pound · bark · kid · pop · last · hide · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — to go on
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. lean — thin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. last — finally
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — to visit
  21. last — final
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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