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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — final
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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