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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — a company
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. firm — decided
  13. can — a tin
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — bread
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. date — the fruit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — the fish

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