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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — to drop

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