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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. can — to be able to
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ground — a position
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pit — in a race
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — a break

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