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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — a break
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wind — moving air

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