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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — a company
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. firm — steady
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — a container

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