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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — to tire
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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