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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mate — to breed
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — a partner
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. toast — bread
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — all right

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