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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — rain
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — to protest
  19. toast — bread
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — to be able to

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