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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — a song
  4. board — to get on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — to confront
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — to point toward
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fine — all right
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — exactly

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