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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to confront
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rock — music
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — bread
  11. club — for dancing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. roll — a list
  18. rock — a stone
  19. date — the fruit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — a group
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. prune — to trim

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