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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. face — part of the head
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. toast — bread
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to point toward
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. face — to confront
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mark — to pay attention

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