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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · key · date · lie · root · mine · fall · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — the season
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — in music

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