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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — in control
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — a measure
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. toast — bread

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