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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. row — a line
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bowl — a football final

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