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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. mug — a face
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — a song
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — to protest
  6. mug — to rob
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — a division
  23. spring — a coil
  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