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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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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: foot · chest · stand · row · hide · pound · present · tube

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — to paddle
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a line
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. present — there
  23. foot — a measure
  24. row — a quarrel

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