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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: pass · dip · pound · wound · wave · hide · swing · craft

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. swing — in golf
  7. craft — boats
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — an injury
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — to succeed

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