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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. clip — for paper
  10. game — a match
  11. rash — a series
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — an aim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — hasty
  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