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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pound — a weight
  18. present — the time now
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pound — to hit hard

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