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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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. bore — gave birth
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tear — to rip
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bear — to put up with

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