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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: wind · tear · snap · pound · firm · jam

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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