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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: bat · chest · cap · dip · bulb · pound · staff · toast

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — a hat
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bat — the animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a lid
  23. toast — bread
  24. dip — a sauce

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