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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — a series
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. band — a music group
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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