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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. last — to go on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. last — finally
  15. toast — bread
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pop — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — to visit

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