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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — happening now
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hand — help
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spell — letters
  15. current — of water
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — 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