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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. object — a thing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mark — a grade
  8. object — an aim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. toast — bread
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. rest — what's left

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