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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 · cabinet · content · mouse · toast · straw · foot · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — bread
  5. cap — of ice
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — dry grass

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