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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. last — final
  6. shower — to wash
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — hurry
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. toast — bread
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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