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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 · kick · pound · saw · bass · deal · toast · row

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. toast — bread
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bass — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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