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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — finally
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. last — final
  24. pass — to succeed

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