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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — the earth
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to drill
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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