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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: stick · rest · pound · hand · wave · ground · nail · leaves

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — a position
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hand — help
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. 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