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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. game — a match
  24. toast — bread

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