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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. chip — in a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — final
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chip — for betting
  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