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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. roll — a list
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — a tin
  24. roll — on a roll

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