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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. present — a gift
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. present — there
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — the time now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cap — a lid

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