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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rash — a series
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. snap — to click
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — for pool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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