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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — a line
  3. land — to come down
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — thin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — a country
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — ground
  14. date — the fruit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — to bend
  23. toast — bread
  24. lean — to rest against

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