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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. present — there
  12. fall — the season
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — a price
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. toast — bread
  18. present — the time now
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — in control

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