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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. current — of water
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. current — electric
  10. snap — to click
  11. lean — to bend
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a ring
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. toast — bread
  24. charge — in control

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