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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to click
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — a break
  16. current — happening now
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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