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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — after costs
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. net — for catching
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — a weight
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mine — for digging

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