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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — of a tree

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