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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. degree — temperature
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. march — music
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. object — an aim
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. game — a kind of play

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