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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — a partner
  4. toast — bread
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — a line
  13. track — a path
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — a break
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — to paddle

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