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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. object — a thing
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — an aim
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — of law
  18. object — to protest
  19. court — of a king
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — of the sea

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