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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 124 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — to go on
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. content — happy
  12. kick — in football
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — goods
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — the amount
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stock — a soup base

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