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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — a permit
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — the season
  24. toast — bread

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