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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — the most important part
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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