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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. season — of the year
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — bread
  22. mug — a face
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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