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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tube — a container
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  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