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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — happening now
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. present — there
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — of the year
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — in sport
  24. present — the time now

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