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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: toast · dip · mate · tear · rock · roll · temple · leaves

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mate — a partner
  22. roll — a list
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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