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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — finally
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — to keep track
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — to go on
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. last — final
  19. track — a song
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. toast — bread
  24. staff — a stick

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