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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a ring
  4. club — a group
  5. bound — tied together
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — certain
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — a cup
  22. band — a music group
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bat — the animal

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