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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — help
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — a line
  10. root — the cause
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — in cards
  13. root — of a word
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. press — to push
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. row — to paddle
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wave — with your hand

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