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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · mate · bowl · arm · cue · bass · last

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cue — a signal

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