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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — the amount
  19. march — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. content — happy
  23. last — finally
  24. march — the month

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