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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · mug · bulb · date · ruler · toast · wake · face

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — bread
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. face — part of the head
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — a trail

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