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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rule — a law
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — in music

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