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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — letters
  5. bark — to shout
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. spell — a short time
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — magic
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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