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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — a law
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. staff — employees
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — government
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — to eat
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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