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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — the season
  18. bore — to tire

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