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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wax — to grow
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — soda
  9. present — there
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. date — the fruit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — to confront

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