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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — a weight
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — a practice
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. drill — the tool

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