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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. toast — bread
  3. object — a thing
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — clever
  9. clip — a video
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — an aim
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — all right
  21. object — to protest
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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