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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rest — a break
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rash — hasty
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rash — a series
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rest — what's left

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