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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chest — a box
  10. mark — a trace
  11. club — for dancing
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — for golf

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