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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bass — the fish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — boats
  24. wind — moving air

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