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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — bread
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — letters
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — gave birth

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