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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. toast — bread
  3. wind — moving air
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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