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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — a tool
  4. race — humankind
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. band — a music group
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — bread
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — a contest
  24. wave — of the sea

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