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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. toast — bread
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. band — a ring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. band — a music group

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