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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — in cards
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. roll — a list
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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