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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chest — a box
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. can — a tin

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