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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. toast — bread
  4. pop — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — soda
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — to go on
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. kid — to tease
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. last — finally

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