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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — the season
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a trace
  12. root — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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