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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bass — low music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — an aim
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. object — to protest
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — a thing
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — for money

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