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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. squash — to crush
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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