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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a hole
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mate — a friend
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cell — a phone
  19. roll — a list
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stand — to bear
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — on a roll

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