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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — a box
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. last — to go on
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. last — final
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. toast — bread
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — in cards

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