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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: sharp · last · pound · rest · wave · stem · key · kid

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. last — final
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — in music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kid — child
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — to go on
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. sharp — with an edge

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