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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: kid · march · toast · fine · tear · sharp · board · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. toast — bread
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tear — from crying
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — high quality
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. march — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — child
  23. fine — all right
  24. kid — to tease

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