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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — a song
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — a sauce

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