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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — rain
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — to wash
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. toast — bread
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — the fruit
  24. board — a committee

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