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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. object — to protest
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. object — a thing
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — bread
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pass — a permit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. row — a quarrel

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