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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — humankind
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — a trail
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — a contest
  24. wake — before a funeral

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