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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — a series
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — the season
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. track — a path

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