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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. roll — a list
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a document
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a ring
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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