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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — to drill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — in music

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