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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — of water
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. current — happening now
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — there
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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