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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — to breed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. firm — decided
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — in music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. firm — steady
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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