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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rash — a series
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to click
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chest — a box
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. date — on the calendar

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