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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · foot · jam · ground · charge · last · chest · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. charge — in control
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. toast — bread
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — the earth
  24. toast — the most admired

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