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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. firm — decided
  14. craft — boats
  15. mine — for digging
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a path
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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