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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. content — happy
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a signal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. leaves — of a tree

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