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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — bread
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — a list
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — a position
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — the earth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — hurry

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