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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. scale — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a music group
  7. snap — to click
  8. scale — size or range
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. toast — bread
  13. root — of a plant
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — of a word
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — a thing
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — an aim
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. leaves — to go away

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