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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · march · date · mug · key · hand · season · wind

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mug — a face
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. toast — bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — in music
  18. hand — help
  19. march — music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — in cards
  24. season — of the year

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