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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mug — a face
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — to keep track
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. track — a path
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mug — to rob
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. track — a song
  24. plane — an aircraft

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