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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — a company
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — a country
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — ground
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. toast — bread
  18. land — to come down
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — hurry

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