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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: object · tear · row · wave · chair · tube · face · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chair — a leader
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — a thing
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tube — a container
  17. tear — to rip
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. face — to confront
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — an aim
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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