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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pass — a permit
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — to go on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — for sport
  23. last — finally
  24. pass — to succeed

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