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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · bear · rock · can · foot · date · ground · toast

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cold — an illness
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — to put up with

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