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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. toast — bread
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — music
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — finally
  22. pop — to visit
  23. game — a match
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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