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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — after costs
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — for catching
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — an aim
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — bread
  18. bulb — for light
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. net — in sport

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