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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — soda
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a cup
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to drill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — a break
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — to tire

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