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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — all right
  4. last — finally
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — final
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. toast — bread
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — of a word
  24. mark — a grade

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