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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. toast — bread
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — a weight

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