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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mark — a grade

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