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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — steady
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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