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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — the animal

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