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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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468
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — a match
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — bread
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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