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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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