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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: toast · dip · saw · swing · season · present · cap · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. cap — a lid
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — there

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