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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chip — to eat
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mug — a face
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — letters
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — rain
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. dip — a sauce

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