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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. spell — magic
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. charge — a price
  13. dip — to sink
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. toast — bread
  23. spell — letters
  24. dip — a sauce

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