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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — a break
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bore — to tire
  22. squash — to crush
  23. march — music
  24. wind — moving air

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