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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rash — hasty
  3. toast — bread
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — to breed
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — in biology
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — a series
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cell — a phone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — steady

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