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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. content — happy
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. calf — a young 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