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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a line of people
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. file — a document

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