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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. plane — a tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pop — music
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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