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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — soda
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — to confront
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. club — for dancing
  13. last — final
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — to visit
  16. club — a group
  17. last — to go on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — finally
  24. fall — to drop

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