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

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chair — a leader
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — the fruit
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. object — to protest
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. toast — bread
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chair — to sit on

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