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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. toast — bread
  7. mine — for digging
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. leaves — to go away

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