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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: key · pound · cap · toast · rash · snap · pit · wind

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — hasty
  24. toast — bread

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