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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. toast — bread
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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