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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — of a word
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — goods
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — of a tree

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