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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — a series
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit

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