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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — a weight
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — bread
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — a line
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — an untruth

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