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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pound — a weight
  9. firm — decided
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. shower — rain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — a video
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — to be able to

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