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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — an aim
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. object — a thing
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. object — to protest
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rock — a stone

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