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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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 — the most admired
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — part of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to point toward
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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