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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. roll — a list
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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