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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. toast — bread
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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