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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — letters
  20. club — for golf
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — to sink

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