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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: jam · tear · pound · safe · toast · mate

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. toast — bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pound — a weight
  18. toast — the most admired

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