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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — bread
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — in cards
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rash — a series
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. scale — in music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — boats
  24. rash — hasty

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