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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — letters
  6. can — to be able to
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — for a lock
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — in sport

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