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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — in sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — part of the body

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