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

Word bank: toast · suit · charge · saw · rule · bat · chest · swing

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — clothes
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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