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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pound — a weight
  14. deal — to handle
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. net — for catching
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — the season
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

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