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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — to recline
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cell — a phone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. toast — bread
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — of law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — for sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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