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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — a weight
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. pound — to hit hard

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