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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — bread
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — a break
  7. bound — obliged
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. last — final
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. last — finally
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — to 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