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

Word bank: toast · present · snap · craft · bore · arm · content · spell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. craft — boats
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — there
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — letters
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. content — happy
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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