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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — tied together
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — shares
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. root — the cause
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — a short time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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