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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pop — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. shower — rain
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — thin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — to hurry

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