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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — an illness

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