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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — to tease
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — child
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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