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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. rule — a law
  6. rock — music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. hand — help
  16. last — final
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hand — in cards

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