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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: fine · snap · mug · pound · suit · stand · tear · toast

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — a cup
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a face
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — a weight
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. toast — bread
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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