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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lie — to recline
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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