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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — in football
  20. toast — bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — a trainer

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