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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. object — a thing
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — magic
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — help
  16. track — a song
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. roll — a list
  21. toast — bread
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — an aim

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