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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 · key · mouse · fine · object · rest · tear

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — in music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fine — all right
  11. object — to protest
  12. rest — a break
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. object — an aim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to click
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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