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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — in cards
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — to rest against

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