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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. content — happy
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — a partner
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. toast — bread
  24. row — a line

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