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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — all right
  9. toast — bread
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — a contest
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — decided
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. firm — a company
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — steady
  23. spell — letters
  24. coach — a trainer

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