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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — help
  16. dip — to sink
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — bread
  24. hand — in cards

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