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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. row — to paddle
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. row — a line
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. snap — to click

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