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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a face
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — a cup
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. date — on the calendar

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