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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pop — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cap — a lid
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — to visit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cap — a hat
  19. row — a line
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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