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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for dancing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rash — a series
  18. club — for golf
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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