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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — a permit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. shower — rain
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to click

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