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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. toast — bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. last — to go on
  9. swing — music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — to handle
  14. last — final
  15. cell — in biology
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — finally
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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