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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · mark · can · last · pop · mate · rash · hand

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — final
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — finally
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mark — a trace

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