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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a document
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — after costs

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