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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — a tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. net — in sport
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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