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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — help

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