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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. ground — the earth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — bread
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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