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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: mate · hide · content · pound · stick · deal · cabinet · wind

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — to turn a key

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