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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 124 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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — a weight
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — to hit hard

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