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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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Word bank
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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: file · cabinet · season · last · bay · key · mate · toast

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — of the year
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — in sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a document
  21. key — in music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — to breed
  24. toast — bread

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