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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: patient · snap · tear · toast · pound · spell · deal · rush

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tear — from crying
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spell — magic
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to click
  14. pound — a weight
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — letters
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — from crying
  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