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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a city
  15. kick — in football
  16. toast — bread
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — in a road
  21. capital — money
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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