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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
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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. toast — bread
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. last — to go on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — in golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a tool
  21. last — final
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — a football 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