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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — to push
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. content — happy
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. content — the amount
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — with your hand

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