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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to point toward
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — to confront
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — an aim
  13. toast — bread
  14. march — the month
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. march — music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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