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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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