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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — to recline
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — to be able to
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — a penalty

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