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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. toast — bread
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. scale — size or range
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — in music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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