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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. season — of the year
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. toast — bread
  8. rule — a law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — government
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — a face
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — to recline
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — in sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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