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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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. charge — in control
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — for paper
  8. charge — a price
  9. date — the fruit
  10. toast — bread
  11. mark — a grade
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. clip — a video
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — a tool

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