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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. season — of the year
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — the tool

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