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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. toast — bread
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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