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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — steady

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