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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. foot — a measure
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a friend

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