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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — to wash
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. bore — to tire
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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