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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — a break
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a music group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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