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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — rain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — to crush

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