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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — bread
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — to protest
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — a thing
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — the cause
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. object — an aim
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a word
  24. jam — a tight spot

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