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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. toast — bread
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — child
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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