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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lean — thin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. foot — a measure
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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