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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. key — in music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — for a lock
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fall — the season
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — of the year
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — in sport

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