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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. can — to be able to
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. dip — to sink

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