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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 · wake · kick · rest · kid · season · tear · toast

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. season — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kick — in football
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — of the year
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — child
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rest — what's left

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