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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: toast · object · snap · bear · pound · stick

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. snap — to click
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. object — to protest
  18. bear — the animal

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