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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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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — a weight
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. tear — from crying
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — of water
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — in golf

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