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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. row — a line
  3. mate — a partner
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. content — happy
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mark — a grade
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mark — a trace
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rest — a break

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