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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. firm — steady
  8. key — in music
  9. date — the fruit
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. firm — decided
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. key — for a lock
  19. firm — a company
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a song
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — the most important part

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