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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — rain
  8. mate — to breed
  9. shower — to wash
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — a friend
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — electric
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — happening now

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