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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. toast — bread
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. content — happy
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to drill
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — the amount
  19. wake — a trail
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bore — to tire

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