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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mate — to breed
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. toast — bread
  24. row — a line

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