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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: bear · toast · row · dip · content · rash · kick · wind

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — bread
  10. rash — a series
  11. row — a line
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rash — hasty

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