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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. last — finally
  4. capital — money
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — to keep track
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — a path
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. last — final
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a city
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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