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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a ring
  4. tube — a container
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kick — in football
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a music group
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — music

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