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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mug — a face
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. rush — hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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