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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fine — all right
  9. object — to protest
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. bear — to put up with

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