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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. clip — a video
  4. rock — a stone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — an amount
  12. toast — bread
  13. can — to be able to
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. clip — for paper
  23. last — final
  24. clip — to cut

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