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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — soda
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — child
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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