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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — an aim
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. object — a thing
  24. fall — to drop

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