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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — hasty
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — to protest
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kid — to tease
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — a series
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kid — child
  24. dip — a sauce

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