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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: pound · jam · can · bear · rush · toast · clip · trunk

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. toast — bread
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. clip — to cut
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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