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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. toast — bread
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of a car

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