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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. toast — bread
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — a series
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rush — hurry

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