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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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Word bank
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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: ball · spring · mouse · wave · stand · last · kick · pound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spring — the season
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — for spectators

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