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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in biology
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — a cup
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. mug — a face
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wave — of the sea

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