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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. roll — a list
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to click
  13. toast — bread
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. roll — a cake
  24. nail — for a hammer

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