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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: present · deal · bound · suit · land · wave · wind · pound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. suit — in cards
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — there
  13. land — to come down
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — the time now
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. land — a country
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — ground

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