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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pop — to visit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bat — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — soda
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pop — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. track — a path
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a song
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — to keep track

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