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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bore — to tire
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a partner
  24. band — a ring

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