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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. chest — a box
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — bread
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pit — in a race
  21. march — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a football final

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