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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. content — the amount
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. firm — steady
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — size or range
  16. content — happy
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pound — a weight
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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