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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hand — in cards
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — of your body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. roll — a list
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — help
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chest — a box
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. deal — to handle

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