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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a music group
  7. ground — a position
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — a break
  24. safe — a strongbox

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