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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — to sink
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. toast — bread
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — there
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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