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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — bread
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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