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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bear — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — an aim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. toast — bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a car

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