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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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