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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. field — farmland
  12. current — happening now
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. field — a subject
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to drill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hide — to keep secret

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