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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ball — a dance
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to dunk

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