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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — the season
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — the animal

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