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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — clothes
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — of ice

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