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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — clothes

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