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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — to shout
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — low music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — the fish

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