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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 to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — all right
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. court — of law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. court — of a king
  23. toast — bread
  24. leaves — lets stay

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