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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. bear — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — a committee
  8. kid — child
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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