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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. toast — bread
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. scale — in music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — the time now
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — to grow

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