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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: saw · tube · wave · clip · pound · pass · firm · toast

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. clip — a video
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — the underground
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. firm — decided
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. tube — in a tire

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