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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — a contest
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. toast — bread
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — to grow
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — humankind
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. toast — the most admired

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