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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: deal · tear · saw · pit · season · bound · toast · bear

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — obliged
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — in sport

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