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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — a line
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — for digging
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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