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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. date — the fruit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — from a university
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. toast — bread
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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