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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. roll — a list
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. toast — bread
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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