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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — a company
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cold — not warm
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — decided
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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