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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 to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lean — thin
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. toast — bread
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — a stone

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