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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · prune · rush · toast · present · date · land · face

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rush — hurry
  13. toast — bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — a gift
  21. land — a country
  22. present — there
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fine — high quality

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