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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: spell · toast · snap · bay · pound · rock · rush · spring

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spring — a coil
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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