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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — a container
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wake — a trail
  15. season — in sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. season — of the year

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