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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — to visit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — to tease
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — government
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. foot — a measure
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — music
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. toast — bread

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