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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lean — thin
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — to drill

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