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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — final
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. object — an aim
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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