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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. toast — bread
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mug — a face
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. chair — a leader

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