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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — in golf
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — a box
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — a city
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. toast — bread
  16. chest — of your body
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — a face
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. capital — money

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