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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. object — a thing
  7. toast — bread
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — the season
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to click

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