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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. roll — a list
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. present — there
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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