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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 116 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: rash · prune · hide · ground · mark · pound · chair · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — a position
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  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