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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a face
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. net — after costs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. clip — a video
  24. straw — dry grass

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