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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — the earth

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