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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — for digging
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a song
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — to keep track

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