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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. board — to get on
  6. present — there
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — to crush
  11. last — final
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — a committee
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ground — the earth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — bread
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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