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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tear — from crying
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lean — thin
  14. bound — certain
  15. chest — a box
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bound — tied together
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — a young animal

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