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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — magic
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. 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