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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: last · wind · can · roll · toast · pound · saw · arm

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. can — to be able to
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a list
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — bread
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pound — for dogs

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