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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: trunk · dip · cue · content · row · bore · craft · toast

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — happy
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. craft — boats
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. row — a line
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. toast — bread
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cue — a hint

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