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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — a line
  3. toast — bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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