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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. plane — a tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — final
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — to add flavour

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