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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. field — farmland
  11. toast — bread
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — a subject
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — to protest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. date — on the calendar

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