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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — bread
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — to recline
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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