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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 have a ________________ here.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. rest — a break
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. toast — bread
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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