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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cold — an illness
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — to fit
  24. band — a ring

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