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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — child
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kid — to tease
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — a path
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lean — to rest against

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