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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · staff · toast · bowl · swing · hide

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. toast — bread
  10. swing — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mate — to breed
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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