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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. toast — bread
  3. firm — steady
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. firm — decided
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — in sport
  20. file — a document
  21. firm — a company
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — of the leg

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