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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — low music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — the fish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. toast — the most admired

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