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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — in cards
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mate — a friend
  7. drill — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. toast — bread
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. roll — a list
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. sharp — clever

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