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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — humankind
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kid — child
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. race — a contest
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — in golf

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