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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — in cards
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bore — to drill
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. toast — bread
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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