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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 124 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: staff · wave · wake · stick · pound · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wake — a trail
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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