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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — a song
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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