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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — of the sea

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