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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: dip · race · firm · bear · staff · toast · mark · tear

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tear — to rip
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — decided
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — the arms race
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. race — humankind
  15. firm — a company
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to sink
  20. race — a contest
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mark — a grade

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