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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — final
  11. toast — bread
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — child
  14. bank — of a river
  15. last — finally
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hide — animal skin

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