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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lean — thin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wake — a trail

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