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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. toast — bread
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bass — low music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. craft — boats
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rush — a thrill

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