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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — a position
  9. last — final
  10. ground — the earth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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