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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. swing — music
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — to play on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chair — a leader
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — to sit on

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