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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — soda
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — music

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