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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. season — to add flavour

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