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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — in football
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — the fruit
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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