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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. toast — bread
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mate — a friend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. club — for golf
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — a group
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — thin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. face — to point toward
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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