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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — there
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — to fit
  23. net — after costs
  24. suit — clothes

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