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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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 drill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — a division
  9. tear — to rip
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. toast — bread
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. branch — 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