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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ground — a position
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mug — a cup
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to rest against

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