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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · pound · suit · dip · wave · tear

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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. pound — for dogs
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. race — humankind
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. race — a contest
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pound — a weight

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