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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cold — not warm
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rock — music
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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