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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 sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. stand — to bear
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — a sauce

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