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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. object — a thing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — an aim
  15. toast — bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. object — to protest
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — a box
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. leaves — of a tree

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