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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — to protest
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — a contest
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. object — a thing
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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