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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. dip — to sink
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. season — of the year
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — an agreement

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