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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a match
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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