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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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