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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — bread
  12. march — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — to go away

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