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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. last — final
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. object — a thing
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. toast — bread
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — an aim
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. suit — in cards

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