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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tube — in a tire

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