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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — a trace
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — a trail
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mark — a grade
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. toast — bread
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hand — help
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. nail — for a hammer

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