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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — the season
  16. shower — rain
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — a coil
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — to recline

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