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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — employees
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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