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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — thin
  10. pop — soda
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — there
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — to breed
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — a friend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lash — an eyelash

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