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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tube — a container
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stock — goods

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