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

Word bank: pound · press · nail · rest · wave · bulb · suit · kid

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pound — a weight
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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