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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — to crush
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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