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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. row — a line
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ground — crushed
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — a position
  24. temple — side of the head

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