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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — the most admired

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