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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 lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rock — music
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — in football
  19. lean — thin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — final

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