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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — final
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — money
  5. row — a line
  6. last — to go on
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — to rob
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pound — a weight
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pound — to hit hard

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