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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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Word bank
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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 · stand · bore · game · toast · pound · mug · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. game — wild animals
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a match
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mug — a face
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. last — final
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stand — for spectators

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