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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spring — of water
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. spring — the season
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — bread
  24. hide — animal skin

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