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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. game — a match

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