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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — rain
  9. last — to go on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. toast — bread
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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