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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. toast — bread
  5. kid — to tease
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rash — a series
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — child

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