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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. capital — money
  5. lean — to bend
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. toast — bread
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lean — thin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — to get on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a city
  24. roll — a cake

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