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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cap — a hat
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a lid

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