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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to drill
  17. face — to confront
  18. rock — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — to put up with

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