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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. roll — a list
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — shares
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — a series
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — on a finger

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