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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — magic
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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