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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — after costs
  3. race — the arms race
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. present — there
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. net — for catching
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pound — a weight
  21. race — humankind
  22. vault — a safe
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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