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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. object — to protest
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — an aim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — a thing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — letters
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — of the sea

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