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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — finally
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to click
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tear — to rip
  18. last — to go on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — final

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