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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: ruler · wax · date · spring · bear · pop · toast · kick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — in football
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — the animal

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