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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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