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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tube — the underground

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