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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. key — in music
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — bread
  24. leaves — of a tree

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