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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — after costs

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