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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. drill — a practice
  5. content — the amount
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a line
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — army training
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. game — wild animals
  24. safe — out of danger

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