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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — a weight
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mate — to breed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. file — a line of people
  11. last — final
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — finally
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. last — to go on
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. file — a document
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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