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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · bulb · kick · wind · toast · pound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — bread
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — in football
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — moving air

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