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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — crushed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. pop — music
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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