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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stock — goods
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — bread
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — to drop

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