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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. toast — bread
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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