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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hand — help
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — magic
  24. fork — in a road

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