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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a trace
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fall — the season
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — bread
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stock — a soup base

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