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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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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: firm · straw · lean · bear · bore · toast · content · mouse

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — thin
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — bread
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. content — happy
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. firm — decided
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mouse — for a computer

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