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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. clip — for paper
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — the most important part
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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