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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: can · date · toast · lie · cell · mark · firm · deal

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. deal — to handle
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. toast — bread
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in biology

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