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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — after costs
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kick — in football
  17. bore — to drill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. bound — tied together
  24. saw — the tool

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