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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. race — humankind
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — the season
  19. rash — a series
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — hasty
  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