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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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Word bank
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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: wind · dip · present · pound · toast · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. present — there
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — the time now
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pound — to hit hard

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