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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — bread
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — for betting
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. squash — the sport
  24. foot — part of the body

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