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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · leaves · pop · toast · key · fine · calf · present

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. key — for a lock
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. toast — bread
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — to visit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. fine — all right
  22. key — in music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mine — an explosive

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