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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a dance
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — bread
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry

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