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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: toast · roll · tear · safe · scale · chest · bore · fork

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. roll — a cake
  3. toast — bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chest — of your body
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chest — a box
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fork — in a road
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. scale — for weighing

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