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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to click
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fall — the season
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — bread
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. present — a gift
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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