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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: snap · pound · toast · trunk · firm · bass · fall · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. firm — decided
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — bread
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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