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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chair — a leader
  16. branch — a division
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — bread
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — what's left
  24. roll — a list

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