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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. race — a contest
  7. chair — a leader
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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