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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — to eat
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rest — a break
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — bread
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — all right

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