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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: spell · deal · dip · last · rest · date · squash · toast

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — finally
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. spell — a short time
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. toast — bread
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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