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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ball — a dance
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bound — obliged
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. field — farmland
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — a subject
  21. toast — bread
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fan — a supporter

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