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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — a law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — to eat

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