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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 120 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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. season — of the year
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kid — child
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — in sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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