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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: saw · band · plane · dip · toast · arm · date · bear

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. band — a ring

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