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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. root — the cause
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — of a word
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rash — a series
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rash — hasty
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. present — the time now
  24. rash — on the skin

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