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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — a hat
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cap — of ice
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chest — of your body

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