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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — hasty

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