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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. current — electric
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. current — happening now
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. toast — bread
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — to handle

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