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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — music
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. staff — a stick
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — a weight
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — a division
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pound — for dogs

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