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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — to visit
  18. hand — in cards
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — a supporter

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