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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. land — ground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tube — a container
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fall — the season
  21. land — to come down
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. date — on the calendar

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