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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: bear · hide · object · pound · wound · nail · mate · plane

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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