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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: toast · spell · date · mate · press · stick · prune · foot

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spell — a short time
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a partner
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — to breed
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. press — to push

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