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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — bread
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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