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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. charge — in control

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