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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — in a road
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — to protest
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. foot — a measure

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