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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. press — newspapers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pound — a weight
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wind — moving air

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