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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — of the year
  4. staff — a stick
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a ring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — help
  12. fine — all right
  13. hand — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. season — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — an untruth

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