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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — a container
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. band — a ring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. swing — to play on
  19. band — a music group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — to drill

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