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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — a box
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — to wash
  9. land — to come down
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — ground
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. land — a country
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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