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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — steady
  4. snap — to click
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — a country
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. swing — music

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