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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. root — of a word
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — government
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — for digging
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — shares
  21. rule — a law
  22. object — a thing
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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