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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cell — a phone
  17. toast — bread
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. straw — a straw man

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