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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rash — a series
  8. tear — to rip
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — bread
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. plane — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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