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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fork — in a road
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — to push
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — a publisher
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. season — in sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mate — to breed

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