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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ball — a dance
  5. toast — bread
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — a tin

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