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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — there
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  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