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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: stick · bat · toast · lie · board · mark · present · mug

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. board — a committee
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. toast — bread
  23. present — there
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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