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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — help
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — the animal

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