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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rush — hurry
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. toast — bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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